Cooling sleeve for exhaust port of electric furnace roof



United States Patent Quentin Schiene Chicago Heights, Illinois 774,463

Nov. 8, 1968 Nov. 24, 1970 Geo P. Reinljes Co. Inc. Kansas City, Missouri a corporation of Missouri [72] Inventor [21] Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] COOLING SLEEVE FOR EXHAUST PORT OF ELECTRIC FURNACE ROOF 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 122/6.5 [51] Int. Cl F22b 37/00 [50] Field ofSearch 13/9, 32;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,222,004 11/1940 Smith 2,766,736 10/1956 Del-Buono l3/32X 3,137,277 6/1964 Best 122/6.6 3,164,658 1/1965 Yagi 13/9 3,230,072 1/1966 Johnson 13/9X 3,385,241 5/1968 Alvis et al.. 110/99 3,396,954 8/1968 Krogsrud 13/9X Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague Attorney-Schmidt, Johnson, Hovey, Williams & Chase ABSTRACT: A cooling sleeve for the exhaust port of an electric furnace roof, such exhaust port normally being defined by the brick of the roof, the sleeve circumscribing the exhaust port, there being a passage through the sleeve and means for delivering fluid through said passage whereby the sleeve may be cooled. The sleeve is carried by supporting framework in such a manner that it may shift with respect to the brick of the roof dome.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 INV'ENTOR Que/7f? J 56/7/6/78 RNEY5 COOLING SLEEVE FOR EXHAUST PORT OF ELECTRIC FURNACE ROOF It is the most important object of this invention to provide a cooling sleeve for the exhaust port of an electric furnace roof, which sleeve is shiftably supported in circumscribing relationship to the exhaust port, the sleeve being polygonal in cross section whereby to present an interior passage; there being means for delivering acooling fluid into said passage whereby the fluid may be circulated through said passage and out of a suitable outlet pipe.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cooling sleeve for the exhaust port of an electric furnaceroof, the roof including brick-supporting structure in the form of a peripheral element, a hub and a framework interconnecting the element and the hub, there being a brick dome supported in depending relationship by said structure, the exhaust port being defined by the brick of the dome at a position between said hub and said peripheral element, the sleeve being carried by the framework and shiftably positioned in circumscribing relationship to the exhaust port and in engagement with the brick defining said port, the sleeve normally being shiftably connected to the framework whereby the sleeve may move with respect thereto in order to compensate for shifting or expansive movement of the brick.

Other objects of this invention include details of construction which will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a substantially central, longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line 1-1 of FIG. 2 and showing a portion of the electric furnace roof having the cooling sleeve therein; and

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the brick supporting structure taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

The cooling sleeve hereinafter more particularly described is intended for use with an electric furnace roof of the type disclosed for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,241, issued May 28, 1968 Such an electric furnace roof is generally dome-shaped in configuration and is intended to be positioned atop an electric furnace and periodically removed therefrom to permit charging of the furnace or replacement of the roof.

Essentially, the electric furnace roof includes brick supporting structure 12 having as its primary elements a peripheral element 14 which is normally generally cylindrical in plan configuration whereby to rest atop the normally cylindrical electric furnace. A centrally disposed hub 16 is interconnected with said peripheral element 14 by framework 18, the framework 18 including a plurality of radially extending spokes 20 interconnected at spaced intervals by a number of circumferentially extending stringers 22.

In the embodiment chosen for illustration, the peripheral element 14 includes a horizontal flange 24, a vertical leg 26, and a plurality of clips 28, each of the clips corresponding to a spoke 20 whereby each of the spokes may be suitably interconnected with the peripheral element 14. Element 14 also includes an inclined leg which serves to support the outer edge of a brick dome 32, the individual brick of the dome being suitably supported in depending relationship from the framework 18 in a manner not specifically herein shown but described, for instance, in the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,241

The individual brick 34 and such ramming material as may be necessary (not shown) cooperate to define an exhaust port 36 which is positioned in the roof 10 between hub 16 and peripheral element 14, it being appreciated that the port 36 may assume any position or configuration within the roof I0 and in the area thereof between hub 16 and peripheral element 14.

The exhaust port 36 is circumscribed by a sleeve 38 which, in the embodiment chosen for illustration, is shown to be annular, in the nature of a ring, although it will be readily appreciated that both the exhaust port 36 and the circumscribing sleeve 38 may assume any plan configuration so long as the sleeve 38 is complementary to the exhaust port 36 whereby the sleeve 38 is in engagement with the individual brick 34 or ramming material which define the exhaust port 36.

Thus, in the particular embodiment chosen for illustration, the sleeve 38 is fabricated of a suitable metal and is positioned within exhaust port 36 in such a manner that the lower edge 40 of the sleeve 38 is in substantial alignment with the lower face of the brick dome 32, the sleeve being of greater thickness than the dome 32 whereby a portion 44 of the sleeve 38 extends upwardly from the dome 32. The sleeve 38 may assume any cross-sectional configuration so long as it is generally polygonal in nature whereby to present a pair of sidewalls such as 46, and a normally upper wall 48 and a normally lower wall 50, said walls 46, 48 and 50 cooperating to define an interior passage 52 which extends throughout the length of the sleeve 38. As noted, the interior passage 52 can be of any desired cross-sectional configuration, a generally rectangular configuration being shown in the drawing for purposes of illustration.

A cooling fluid 54 is delivered into the passage 52 by means of a fluid inlet pipe 56, which pipe is in communication with said passage 52 at any suitable location through the outer sidewall 46 or the upper wall 48 of the sleeve 38, there being a fluid outlet pipe 58 which is also in communication with interior passage 52, normally at a point on the outer wall 46 of the sleeve 38 which is spaced from fluid inlet pipe 56. It will be readily appreciated that the cooling fluid 54, which may take the form of water or any other suitable coolant, may be introduced into the interior passage 52 of sleeve 38 through inlet pipe 56 and thence circulated through the passage 52 and out of outlet pipe 58 where the water or other cooling fluid can be either disposed of or suitable recooled for recirculation through the sleeve 38.

The sleeve 38 may be carried by framework 18 in many different manners and may be mounted rigidly with respect -to the framework 18 or in such a manner that it is shiftable with respect to said framework 187 In the embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration, the sleeve 38 is shown as shiftably mounted with respect to the framework 18 by suitable connecting means.

Specifically, the connecting means 60 as illustrated in the drawing, are four in number although any number of connecters such as 60 may be utilized in suitably attaching the sleeve 38 to the framework 18. Each connecter 60 takes the form of a lug 62 secured to the outer wall 46 of the sleeve 38 and a corresponding bracket 64 carried by framework 18, there being a shiftable link 66 interconnecting the lug 62 with the bracket 64. In order to permit shifting movement of the sleeve 38, the link is provided with a pin such as 68 at both its point of attachment to the lug 62 and its point of attachment to the bracket 64, these serving as pivot pins to permit said links 66 to shift when movement of the sleeve 38 is caused such as by expansion of the refractory brick 34 which make up the dome 32. It will also be appreciated that by utilizing the connecters 60, the sleeve 38 may be readily adjusted with respect to dome 32 should such become necessary upon utilization of the roof.

The exhaust port 36 of the electric furnace roof 10 is intended to permit egress of smoke and fumes whereby the same may be suitably carried to either the atmosphere or, preferably a dust collector and pollution control area, this being accomplished by an exhaust tube 70 which preferably is of the same cross-sectional configuration as the exhaust port 36 and the sleeve 38 whereby the exhaust tube 70 may be moved into communicating relationship with the port 36 as shown, for instance, in FIG. 1 of the drawing and thus fully collect the fumes, smoke and other impurities which pass from the furnace through exhaust port 36.

The provision of a cooled sleeve such as hereinabove described is advantageous in that the sleeve is always maintained in a cooled condition notwithstanding the continuous use of the furnace and the particular positioning and suspension of the sleeve 38 in its relationship to the arch 32 is advantageous in prolonging the life of the sleeve 38. The provision of such a cooled ring prevents structural weakening of the dome adjacent the exhaust port and thus prolongs the life of the roof.

Iclaim: 1. in combination with an electric furnace roof having a brick supporting structure including a peripheral element, a hub and framework interconnecting the element and the hub, there being an exhaust port through said roof: a sleeve circumscribing said exhaust port; means connecting said sleeve to said framework, said connecting means including a shiftable member whereby said sleeve may move with respect to said roof; and means for cooling said sleeve. 2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, said connecting 

